Pikachu is popularly known as the mascot of the [[Pokémon]] franchise and a major representative of [[Nintendo]]'s collective mascots.

Pikachu is popularly known as the mascot of the [[Pokémon]] franchise and a major representative of [[Nintendo]]'s collective mascots.

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It is also the [[version mascot]] of {{game|Yellow}}, where it is the only [[starter Pokémon]] in that game. It has also made numerous appearances on the boxes of spin-off titles.

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It is also the [[version mascot]] of {{game|Yellow}}, where it is the only [[starter Pokémon]] in that game. It has also made numerous appearances on the boxes of spin-off titles. In {{game|Yellow}} and {{2v2|X|Y}}, Pikachu is also unique to have "Pika" for it's cry.

Biology

Pikachu is a short, chubby rodent Pokémon. It is covered in yellow fur, and its ears are long and pointed with black tips. It has a small mouth, brown eyes, and two red circles on its cheeks. There are pouches inside its cheeks where it stores electricity. Its forearms are short, with five fingers on each paw, and its feet have three toes. It has two brown stripes on its back, and its tail is in the shape of a lightning bolt with a patch of brown fur at the base. A female will have a V-shaped notch at the end of its tail. It is classified as a quadruped, but it has been known to stand and walk on its hind legs.

The anime has shown that Pikachu sometimes travel in groups. It raises its tail to check its surroundings, and is occasionally struck by lightning in this position. Living in forested areas, Pikachu is found foraging for berries it roasts with electricity to make them tender enough to eat. It has been observed eating and sometimes destroying telephone poles, wires, and other electronic equipment.

Pikachu is able to release electric discharges of varying intensity. Pikachu has been known to build up energy in its glands, and will need to discharge to avoid complications. It is also able to release energy through its tail, which acts as a grounding rod, as well as recharging fellow Pikachu with electric shocks. Pikachu can also electrify itself to use its signature move, Volt Tackle. When threatened, it looses electric charges from its sacs, and a group can build and cause lightning storms. It is found mostly in forests, where a sure sign that Pikachu inhabits a location is patches of burnt grass.

Ash was given the opportunity to release Pikachu in Pikachu's Goodbye, as Pikachu seemed very happy with the other Pikachu. Even though he did attempt to, the bond between the two was too strong, so Pikachu chose to stay with him. This episode also featured many other wild Pikachu.

Another Pikachu nicknamed Puka was owned by a man named Victor on Seafoam Island in The Pi-Kahuna. This blue-eyed Pikachu saved Ash from drowning by having the ability to sense tidal waves approaching.

In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mewtwo clones Ash's Pikachu. This Pikachu can be told apart from Ash's due to spikes on the black marks at the tips of its ears. It is also comparatively more aggressive than Ash's Pikachu and slurs its speech, defects possibly caused by Ash tampering with Mewtwo's cloning machine during the cloning process.

Other

James used a Pikachu in the Pokémon League Entrance Exam in The Ultimate Test, but it was defeated by the instructor's Graveler. James, after interfering with a battle Ash was having with the instructor, later tried to steal this Pikachu, only for that Pikachu to zap James instead, as instructed by its instructor.

A Pikachu named Sugar belonging to the owners of a restaurant went missing prior to Cooking up a Sweet Story!, and Ash's Pikachu had to fill in for it so that its owner would have the confidence to win a cooking competition. At the end of the episode, Sugar returns, however, it has evolved into a Raichu.

Pikachu is a main character in the Magical Pokémon Journey manga series. He is the first Pokémon befriended by Hazel, appearing for the first time in How Do You Do, Pikachu?. Pikachu is one of the few Pokémon in Magical Pokémon Journey that cannot speak human language, although the others seem to understand him. He is described as rather scatterbrained at times. Pikachu returns as a main character in Pokémon Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty ♪, the sequel to the Magical Pokémon Journey series.

Ash's Pikachu also makes a cameo appearance in bonus chapters at the end of every volume of the Magical Pokémon Journey manga.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Pikachu debuted in its own round in the Red, Green & Blue chapter, Wanted: Pikachu!. Here, a Pikachu was stealing all the crops in a town. The townsfolk kept chasing it around, but end up getting shocked by it. Red arrives and captures it, ending the chaos. Although extremely disobedient at first, even prone to regularly electrocuting its owner, the two eventually got over this enmity, and this Pikachu, nicknamed "Pika", became one of his most loyal and trusted fighters, being used in almost every major battle Red has had. It also served on Yellow's team while Red was held captive by the Elite Four during the Yellow chapter before being returned to him, during which Yellow discovered that it can Surf.

Pika and Chuchu share a loving relationship, one that is so strong that even Jasmine noticed, prompting her to hand Yellow a slip with the Pokémon Daycare's address on it. Later on, after Yellow and Wilton were brought to the Day Care after being shipwrecked, Yellow finds that Pika and Chuchu now have an Egg shortly after they were "put together." The Egg eventually hatches into Gold's Pichu.

When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build up and cause lightning storms. Forest dwellers, they are few in number and exceptionally rare. The pouches in their cheeks discharge electricity at their opponents. The Pikachu are believed to be highly intelligent.

In the TCG

Pikachu somehow manages to find its way into many of the expansions, causing there to be 104 known non-reprint Pokémon cards featuring Pikachu. There are also various Trainer cards with Pikachu in the card's artwork too, including the very sought-after tournament promos such as No.1 Trainer.

In the early days of the TCG, several notable errors were made regarding the Pikachu cards. The Base Set Pikachu was released with altered artwork at first, depicting it with red cheeks, instead of the original yellow. While this matched Ken Sugimori's artwork, the yellow color on its cheeks was intentional by the artist, who depicted Pikachu using ThunderShock. This error appeared in both the E3 promotional version and the normal Base Set release. A second error was made in the production of Jungle set booster packs, which, instead of the Jungle set's Pikachu, sometimes contained first edition versions of the Pikachu that was released as a promo card.

NPC appearances

Hey You, Pikachu!: Pikachu stars alongside an unnamed child (who bears a striking resemblance to Red) who was recently taught how to interact with wild Pokémon by Professor Oak. The boy and Pikachu form a bond and go on many adventures together, and one day the Pikachu decides to live with the boy.

Pokémon Stadium 2: Pikachu can be used in "Pichu's Power Plant" if one is detected in a Transferred Pokémon game.

Pokémon Pinball: Pikachu serves as a Ball-Saver, but it will only work if the Lightning Meter is full.

Pokémon Channel: Much like Hey You, Pikachu!, Pokémon Channel focuses on a boy and a Pikachu bonding through social interactions, such as going outside and talking to other Pokémon, and watching TV together.

This Pokémon has electricity-storing pouches on its cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up.

In 2008, Japanese researchers discovered a new protein which helps carry electrical impulses from the eyes to the brain and named it Pikachurin. According to the researchers, the decision was based on both the Pokémon and protein possessing "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects".

There have been two Pikachu balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The first, known as the "Flying Pikachu" was flown from 2001 through 2005, was used in a morning rush hour test of wind conditions in Times Square after an accident in 2005's parade, and made its farewell appearance at the Party of the Decade in August 2006 in New York City's Bryant Park. The second version features glowing cheeks and chases a Poké Ball balloon, and debuted in the 2006 parade.

The earliest sketch of Pikachu had a white muzzle, but soon became yellow like the rest of its body. This is still depicted in its front sprites from Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue as well as in the international Pokémon Red and Blue.

Pikachu is the only main series starter Pokémon that has a pre-evolved form, although Pichu was not available in Pokémon Yellow.

As of Generation V, Pikachu has the most event-exclusive moves available to it.

As of Generation VI, Pikachu is the only Pokémon to use its anime voice during a wild encounter.

Pikachu is the only Pokémon that can be used in battle in the Japanese Pokémon Stadium that is not fully evolved.

Origin

Pikachu has physical aspects resembling several species of rodents. Its species name suggests that it is based on a mouse. Despite its name, it bears little resemblance to the pika. Its ears do bear similarity to those of other lagomorphs, however.

Pikachu was designed by Atsuko Nishida, a female member of the core design team at Game Freak.[1]

Name origin

Pikachu is a combination of ピカピカ pikapika (onomatopoeia for sparkle) and チューチュー chūchū (the sound of squeaking).

In other languages

Language

Title

Meaning

Japanese

ピカチュウ Pikachu

Combination of ピカピカ pikapika (onomatopoeia for sparkle) and チューチュー chūchū (the sound of squeaking)